Theni, October 28 — All 17 remand prisoners who escaped from the Thekkampatti district jail in Tamil Nadu's Theni district on Monday night have been apprehended in less than 40 hours, South Zone Inspector General of Police Vijayendra Bidari said on Wednesday, bringing the statewide manhunt to a close.
Source: Hindustan Times
The final four were accounted for on Wednesday. Two escapees, Ponmuthu Selvan and Regin, were arrested during the search, while two brothers, Thirupathi and Meenakshi Sundaram from Madurai, surrendered at the Cumbum police station, police said. Thirteen of the prisoners had already been recaptured earlier in the operation.
Source: ANI via LatestLY
A staged seizure opened the gate
According to police, the escape began around 10 p.m. on Monday when inmates raised an alarm claiming that a prisoner was suffering an epileptic seizure. When para guard Stalin Prabhu went in to investigate, the prisoners allegedly overpowered the staff, took keys from guards near the main entrance, opened the gate and fled. Prison personnel, including Madanmohan and Thangapandi, were allegedly assaulted; a gold chain was also allegedly taken from one officer. Kandamanur police have registered a case against all 17 escapees under eight legal provisions, including those concerning attempted murder, assault and robbery — allegations that remain to be proved in court.
The manhunt that followed involved 17 special teams, more than 300 personnel and drone surveillance across Theni and neighbouring districts, with checkpoints on routes towards the Kerala border, according to police and media reports.
Source: NewsX
Nine staff suspended, inquiry under way
Nine prison staff members have been suspended following the incident, and Director General of Police (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore has ordered an inquiry into how the breach occurred. The Thekkampatti jail, which began operations on January 10, 2019, has an authorised capacity of 200 inmates but was housing 334 prisoners on Monday, a gap that officials and experts say will be part of the security review. All 17 men are remand prisoners held pending trial, not convicted prisoners.